How to Transfer Data from Android to iPhone

There is a very specific feeling that hits you about five minutes after you unbox a new iPhone. The hardware is beautiful, the screen is crisp, and you are ready to join the iMessage group chat without being the “green bubble” outcast.

But then you look at your trusty, beaten-up Android device sitting on the table, holding five years of photos, messy contacts, and chat history. And you realize you have to move all of it across an operating system divide that feels more like a border crossing than a file transfer.

I’ve helped friends, family, and colleagues do this migration more times than I care to count. I’ve seen grown adults panic because they thought they lost their wedding photos, and I’ve seen people accidentally wipe their old phones before checking if the data actually landed.

The truth is, while Apple has a dedicated app for this, it is notoriously temperamental. If you look at it wrong, it disconnects. If your Wi-Fi flickers, you start over.

Here is exactly how to transfer data from Android to iPhone, including the messy workarounds for when the “official” method decides to take a nap.

The “Official” Route (And Why It Fails)

The gold standard is Apple’s Move to iOS app. When it works, it’s magic. It creates a private, direct Wi-Fi connection between your Android and your new iPhone and pipelines your contacts, message history, camera photos, and even your WhatsApp chats over. You can check the official requirements on Apple’s guide to Move from Android to iPhone or iPad.

But it is fragile. I once spent four hours trying to migrate a friend’s Samsung Galaxy to an iPhone 14. Every time the progress bar hit roughly 40%, it failed. The culprit? Her Android phone kept trying to switch back to her home Wi-Fi because the iPhone’s temporary connection had no internet access.

The Pre-Flight Checklist (Do not skip this):

1. Plug both phones into power. Do not trust your battery life. If one dies, you are corrupting data.
2. Update everything. Ensure your Android Chrome is updated (for bookmarks) and your WhatsApp is on the latest version.
3. The “Airplane Mode” Secret: This is the tip that saves 90% of failed transfers. On your Android device, turn on Airplane Mode, then manually toggle only Wi-Fi back on. This prevents the Android from getting distracted by mobile data or incoming calls during the transfer.

Step-by-Step Execution:

1. Start your new iPhone setup. When you reach the Apps & Data screen (it’s a few steps in), select Move Data from Android.
2. Open the Move to iOS app on your Android. Agree to the terms.
3. A code (6 or 10 digits) will pop up on the iPhone. Punch that into the Android.
4. Wait. The phones are now doing a digital handshake.
5. Select your data. You’ll see options for Messages, Contacts, Google Account, Photos, and WhatsApp.

Common Mistake: Letting the screen sleep. Most Android phones kill background processes when the screen turns off to save battery. If your screen goes dark, the transfer might cut. The Fix: Go into your Android Display settings and set “Screen Timeout” to “Never” or the longest possible duration (usually 30 mins) just for today. Keep tapping the screen occasionally like a nervous habit.

The Elephant in the Room: WhatsApp

For years, moving WhatsApp from Android to iOS was impossible without sketchy, paid third-party software. Now, it is integrated into Move to iOS, but it has a catch.

You must do this during the initial iPhone setup. If you have already set up your iPhone and are using it, you can’t merge your old WhatsApp data in. You would have to factory reset the iPhone and start over. See WhatsApp’s official FAQ on How to move chats from an Android device to an iPhone for the exact version requirements.

The Scenario: Last month, a client named Mark bought an iPhone. He was excited, so he skipped the setup transfer, thinking, “I’ll just download WhatsApp later and log in.” When he did, he saw empty chats. He had a Google Drive backup, but the iPhone looks for iCloud backups. They don’t talk to each other. Mark had to wipe his brand new iPhone and do the initial setup all over again just to get that prompt back.

The Solution: Check the “WhatsApp” box in the Move to iOS app. When the transfer finishes, install WhatsApp on the iPhone immediately. Log in with the same phone number. It will detect the local data moved by the app and decrypt it.

When “Move to iOS” Freezes (The Manual Method)

Let’s say the official app just won’t work. It hangs at “1 minute remaining” for two hours. It happens. You’ll have to do things manually. It’s less elegant, but honestly, it’s often cleaner because you aren’t bringing over years of junk files. Apple actually has a dedicated support page for this titled Move content manually from your Android device to your iPhone or iPad.

1. Contacts and Calendars

Don’t bother with SIM card transfers or VCF files.

• On your Android, go to Settings > Accounts > Google and ensure “Sync Contacts” is on.
• On your iPhone, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Add Account.
• Log in to your Google/Gmail account.
• Toggle on “Contacts” and “Calendars.”
• Boom. They appear instantly.

2. Photos and Videos (The “Cloud” is better)

If you have 50GB of photos, the Move to iOS transfer will take eons. A smarter move? Use Google Photos.

• Install Google Photos on your Android (if you don’t have it).
• Set backup quality to “Original Quality” (if you have the storage space) or “Storage Saver.”
• Let it back up photos & videos overnight on Wi-Fi.
• Install Google Photos on your new iPhone and log in.

Why this is better: You don’t clog up your new iPhone’s storage immediately. You have access to 10 years of photos, but they aren’t physically eating up space on the device until you download them.

3. The “Files” Trap

Android gives you access to a file system. You probably have PDFs in a “Downloads” folder. Those don’t transfer easily. Surprising Tip: Use a service like SendAnywhere or simply upload those specific docs to Google Drive/Dropbox. The iPhone “Files” app can connect directly to Google Drive, making those files accessible natively.

The Danger Zone: Authenticator Apps

This is where people get locked out of their lives.

If you use Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Authy for Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on your bank, email, or work slack, do not wipe your Android phone yet.

Authenticator codes do not automatically transfer with your Google login. They live locally on the device for security. Google provides specific instructions to get verification codes with Google Authenticator on a new device.

What to do next:

1. Open Google Authenticator on the Android.
2. Tap the menu (three dots) > Transfer accounts.
3. Select Export accounts.
4. It will generate a giant QR code.
5. Open Google Authenticator on your new iPhone and select Import accounts, then scan the code.

I learned this the hard way when I switched phones and realized I couldn’t log into my crypto exchange or my web hosting panel because the codes were ashes on a factory-reset Samsung.

Apps That Won’t Survive the Trip

You need to accept a harsh reality: You are moving to a different country with different currency.

• Paid Apps: If you bought Minecraft on the Play Store, you don’t own it on the App Store. You have to buy it again.
• Subscriptions: These usually survive if they are tied to an email (like Netflix or Spotify). But if you subscribed to an app through the Google Play billing system, you might need to cancel it on the Android side and resubscribe on the iPhone side to avoid “ghost billing” for a service you can’t access.

The “Phantom” Subscription: Check your Google Play “Subscriptions” tab before you ditch the Android. Cancel anything billed through Google Play that you intend to use on iPhone, then resubscribe on the new device. Otherwise, Google will keep charging your card for a premium weather app you no longer have installed.

The First 48 Hours: Muscle Memory and Clean Up

Once the data is moved, you enter the “Uncanny Valley” phase. You will keep swiping from the side of the screen to go “Back,” but on some iPhone apps, nothing will happen. You have to retrain your thumb to reach for the top left corner or swipe specifically from the edge.

A final plea: Keep your Android phone alive for at least one week. Do not trade it in immediately. Do not factory reset it. Turn it off, put it in a drawer.

On Day 3, you will realize you forgot a specific note in a notepad app that doesn’t sync to the cloud. Or you’ll need a banking SMS OTP that, for some reason, isn’t coming through to the new SIM yet. Having the old device as a “cold storage” backup is the best insurance policy you can have.

Changing operating systems is messy. It’s not just moving data; it’s moving your digital habits. But if you follow the Airplane Mode trick and handle your 2FA keys with care, you’ll survive the jump with your sanity—and your chat history—intact.

Editor — The editorial team at Prowell Tech. We research, test, and fact-check each guide and update it when new info appears. We frequently switch between iOS and Android to ensure our methods work in 2024 scenarios. This content is for educational purposes; always back up your data securely before attempting major transfers.